Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27 NIV

Hi Everyone… as I looked over our year 2013 calendar in preparation of our Christmas letter, I was continually reminded of the precious gifts of grace, patience and peace that the LORD blessed our family with over the past year. Thank you, LORD, for your precious gifts of love, time and direction… and for being with us every step of the way.

Most of our year was spent in the assistance of Carole’s mother, Helen, as she tried to recover from her 2012 stroke. Doctor appointments, ER visits, a broken pelvis, additional rehab, recurring seizures and trips to Olympia took up much of the time, but we did manage a few fun activities as well.

In January, Carole flew to Spokane to celebrate grandchildren Logan and Trista’s birthdays. Logan turned 18 and had a dinner party. Trista had a sledding party on Mt. Spokane. What a fun couple of days!

In February, we were able to attend some of grandson Korban’s YMCA basketball games. Son-in-law, Eric, coached the games while Nana and Papa cheered them both on. Nana also enjoyed a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with daughter Denise, Eric and the Kliskey kiddos.

Jer made a quick trip to Santa Cruz, CA in March to daughter Lynn and Ken’s. It was granddaughter Zoe’s 5th birthday and the party was delightful. Grandpa also enjoyed watching Kai at the skateboard park and connecting with son Mike while there.

June was an extra special month for grandson Logan in Spokane, WA and granddaughter Madison in Hingham, MA. Both of them graduated from high school this year. We were able to fly to Spokane for Logan’s celebration party and then flew back the next day.

Granddaughter Trista played in a basketball tournament in Spokane in July. It was a sunny hot day and Trista’s team did great! While there, we also took in an arena football game with son Todd, Kristen and the grandkids. It was Jer’s first time watching arena football and even better… the Shock’s won!

We celebrated Helen’s 91st birthday at daughter Denise and Eric’s home on July 31st. Helen seemed to really enjoy the family time, dinner, birthday cake and ice crčme. I’m so thankful we were given this special memory since it was her last birthday with us.

In August, we spent four days in a rented cottage on the bay at Lincoln City, Oregon. Daughter Lynn, Zoe and Kai joined Jerry and I along with daughter Denise and Eric, Kiana, Korban, Malakai, Leo, and Tanya. The house was packed but it couldn’t have been more fun!

September brought another trip for Jer to San Jose, CA to help establish granddaughter Madison into DeAnza Community College in Cupertino, CA. Jer had a good short visit with sons Matt and Mike and daughter Lynn and family again before he returned home. Carole had a mini Wenatchee High School class reunion at that same time so unfortunately couldn’t go to California.

October was a difficult month. We lost Helen after a bad fall with aspiration into her lungs. She was under palliative care at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA for nine days before leaving us. I miss her but know that she is now at peace. She had requested a graveside service for family in Wenatchee followed by a celebration of life for friends in Olympia. We did our best to honor her requests and I honestly believe she was smiling down on all of us as we said goodbye.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving at daughter Denise and Eric’s home with a delicious dinner, football and family gathering. I’m always reminded of how truly blessed I am on this special day… and always excited to see Santa come at the end of the Macy Day Parade!

Again this year, we have enjoyed going to the performances at Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle. It’s a great reason to get out and about… and the city at night is always beautiful.

Playing bridge and Jer’s “Lakeland Computer Doctor” business continually keeps him active… and I still love hanging out with the grandkids… so we seem to always be busy! This year went by quickly and brought with it some true challenges but I know that God was with us every step of the way! Thank you, LORD… I couldn’t and wouldn’t have wanted to do it without you in my life!

If you would like to see a few of our year 2013 photos, you can find them at:

Happy Birthday, JESUS… and Merry Christmas to each of you! Please know that you are loved and that we are so very glad that you're a part of our lives. We pray your Christmas and New Year overflows with God's love, peace and blessings.